Post-Pandemic Fashion
Since the beginning of this 6 month isolation, I really haven't gone anywhere in public unless it was necessary or with our quaranteam. I realize now that I took so much for granted that I wish I would’ve appreciated much more, pre-covid… I was thinking the other day that I would LOVE to know how to sew my own clothes so that I could fix some pieces that I currently can’t without a seamstress. I used to walk down the street to see Ms. Lee like once a month!
Right now I wish I could go into VS and try on some of their new push-up swimsuits without feeling like someone is going to sneeze on me wearing a mask with no nose covering. I shop online most of the time, even before the pandemic, but for as long as I can remember it’s always been therapeutic for me to walk into a gorgeous store and try on clothes every now and then. Sadly, the pandemic will most likely expedite the decline of brick and mortar because people are online shopping now more than ever to avoid rona. Significantly less people will be shopping in-stores over the next year, which will force even more stores to close permanently. I am really sad about this.
As someone who loves to dress up I am definitely bored of wearing WFH clothes, and before all of this I used to look forward to some glam for going out out. Now that things are and will continue to be this way for a while I‘v been thinking about how fashion might change post-Covid...
Casual
Will fashion continue heading toward that direction of wearing sneakers with everything? I hope so! Fashion is generally influenced by those who hold wealth and power, and today that stems from those in the tech industries, who value focusing less on dressing up and more on what is comfortable and functional. Look at how formal everyone dressed in the past: head to toe in suits and heels… always. No one wants to wear heels all day long (I definitely don’t.) Less formal and more comfortable is perfectly acceptable and more favored today. I noticed this even more in Europe last summer. People wore sneakers with almost everything. Even at fancier restaurants, we would see women in long dresses and men in suits worn with fashionable sneakers! I loved it because it was comfortable and different from what I was used to… but I felt chic! I’m definitely going to start doing that again.
Dressy
After the pandemic ends will we want to throw on some heels and big earrings? I took a poll a few days ago on Instagram and saw that more women predicted that fashion would be dressy rather than casual, but not by many votes. It seems to be that most people are DYING (me) to go out and get dressed up, while others think that the casual vibes will continue. Some friends shared with me that they have been shopping a lot online during this lockdown and cannot wait to get dressed up and wear their new clothes out in public. Other friends said that the pandemic has made them comfortable with staying all natural in fitspo clothes. I personally am ready to put on some heels and go out to have some drinks!
A Mixture
I think that it’ll be a mix of both casual and dressy. With the millions of jobs that were lost around the world there is overall less of a disposable income for people to spend on new clothes. Fashion industry workers have been laid off, creating a barrier for how new clothes are made and distributed. Maybe the fast fashion industry will slow down. I think that when people buy new clothes, it’s possible that more will invest in quality over quantity.
I also think that people might start to wear clothes and accessories that they already have, and trends might resurface from the past. People will still want to dress up from being in loungewear for sooooo long, like the poll showed, but by using what they already have in their closets. I think it’s weird anyway to only wear an outfit once. Why wouldn’t I rewear a dress that I love so much no matter how many photos I posted in it? Who cares that much!
Industry Workers
One last thing that I want to bring to your attention… I feel that it is really important to consider everyone in the fashion industry who has been affected or laid off due to the pandemic. This also includes those who work in factories, make below minimum wage, and may not have savings or be able to prepare for a difficult time such as this one. The hashtag #whomademyclothes is currently trending to show the effect of those who made the clothes we purchase, some of who have not been paid in months. This is resulting in poverty, sickness, and homelessness for so many families. You should check it out when you have a chance. Using our platforms as voices to speak up against injustices is one of the best ways that we can spread awareness during this time.
How do you think fashion will change when this is all over? Leave a comment below if you feel up to it. I am so interested to see what you guys think!